Chapter 81: 第 81 章

After one in the morning, everyone went upstairs to sleep. The two elders shared the master bedroom. Wu Yin went to wash up first. Li Qingwan carried a thick blanket and asked Wen Ran: "Xiaoshu, you and Yunchi sleeping here, no problem?"

"No problem, Mom." Wen Ran was checking the weather forecast and said it without thinking, very smoothly: "Gu Yunchi and I always sleep together."

Only after saying it did he realize what he'd said. He didn't even dare turn his head, just stood there frozen by the window.

"Is that so." Li Qingwan's voice held a smile. "But this bed's a bit small, you'll have to squeeze in together."

Back in the Little Fishing Village he'd squeezed into a small bed like this with Gu Yunchi — but that sentence absolutely could not slip out again. Wen Ran looked up at the night sky: "Mm-mm, it's fine."

After they said goodnight, Li Qingwan left. Not long after, Gu Yunchi came in from his shower and saw Wen Ran standing at the window with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. He asked: "Waiting for a spaceship to take you back to your home planet?"

"Earth is my home." Wen Ran turned around to argue, then glanced at the door to confirm it was shut before walking over and climbing onto the bed. He said quietly: "I accidentally told Mom that we sleep together."

Gu Yunchi wanted to ask whether by 'sleep' he meant the literal meaning or something else, but figured Wen Ran probably wasn't that wild in front of his mother, so he said: "Better than kissing me in front of her."

"If you don't know how to comfort me, then don't." Wen Ran pulled the blanket over his head. Remembering the scene, he squirmed in embarrassment under the covers and muttered: "I'm going on a one-month kissing ban."

Gu Yunchi didn't comment on that. He pulled the blanket down and pressed on Wen Ran's head: "Let me see the wound."

Wen Ran went still, obediently letting him push his hair around to look. He asked nervously: "How is it? Is the scar wide? Will it look bald?"

"Stitched up well, you can barely see it anymore." Gu Yunchi's hand slid down from Wen Ran's face, lightly cupping the side of his neck, his thumb pad grazing over his Adam's apple.

Gulp — Wen Ran looked at him, his throat swallowing once without meaning to.

The warm yellow bedside lamp half-lit, half-shadowed Gu Yunchi's cold, sharp features, creating a strange contradiction. Wen Ran thought about it and decided it was like snow — very icy but beautiful. No wonder he was drawn to both Gu Yunchi and snow.

Under those deep black eyes, the urge to look away and the urge to hold his gaze kept fighting. The hand on his neck was large and cool. Wen Ran lost the battle quickly, tilted his head up, and leaned in to kiss Gu Yunchi.

Got dodged.

At Wen Ran's confused expression, Gu Yunchi let go, turned off the light, lay down, and said: "Respecting your kissing ban."

Wen Ran: ?

He gritted his teeth and lay back down, rapidly reciting Mach number definitions and formulas in his head to clear his thoughts.

The window was bright — reflected light off the snow. Snowflakes kept falling on the slanted glass, making soft sounds. After a long silence, Wen Ran finally spoke again, his mind clear: "Mom told me that year, when she first got back to the Capital City, she found out she was being followed before she even left the airport. So she immediately bought a ticket to another city, but didn't get on the train — she snuck out of the station and left by boat."

"So Gu Chongze actually never caught Mom, but he lied to you and said she was killed. How can he be that evil — deliberately lying to mock you for coming up empty."

"No point caring what a dead man thinks." Gu Yunchi said. "He knew perfectly well who came up empty."

"You're right." Wen Ran sighed. "Hope one day I can be as calm as you."

"What's the point of being that calm." Gu Yunchi glanced at him. "Laugh when you want to laugh, cry when you want to cry. You're not a sniper."

Fair point. Wen Ran let out a couple of 'heh's, rolled over and hugged him. To maintain his kissing-ban persona, he only nuzzled Gu Yunchi's face and whispered in his ear: "I've been so happy all day. I got to see Mom, played in the snow, and got to ring in the new year with you."

"Gu Yunchi, you and I met Mom officially on the same day. Mom told me that from now on, both of us are her kids."

The next day, when Wen Ran woke up, the space beside him was empty. He sat up with a whoosh and checked his Mobile Phone — 10:30.

He threw on clothes and washed up at top speed, then rushed downstairs and saw Gu Yunchi sweeping snow in the Courtyard. Li Qingwan and Wu Yin seemed to have gone out.

He pushed open the door. The sunlight was bright. Wen Ran called out: "Gu Yunchi!"

He jumped down the steps, snatched the broom from Gu Yunchi's hand, frantically swept a few strokes, then asked: "Why didn't you wake me up? Made me sleep this late — Mom might think I'm some lazy bum."

"Lazy is one thing." Gu Yunchi crossed his arms. "Loves twisting the truth, though."

"What?" Wen Ran pretended not to hear, and asked: "Where did Mom and Teacher Wu go?"

"Grocery shopping."

He'd barely swept for half a minute before his attention drifted elsewhere. He carried the broom over to the snowman — the carrot nose had already fallen on the ground. He said wistfully: "The sun's out, my snowman's gonna melt."

"Ugly thing. Let it melt."

So vicious he had no comeback. Wen Ran tilted his head back and let out a long sigh.

Around eleven, Li Qingwan and Wu Yin came back with groceries and made a simple lunch. As soon as they finished eating, Wen Ran pushed Gu Yunchi to go out to the street with him.

The last day of the year — the streets were especially lively. There was supposed to be a New Year's Eve Parade tonight. Wen Ran bought a hot coffee and sipped it as he walked, then secretly pulled out his Mobile Phone and opened the front camera. His selfies were always 'barely keeping my face in frame' level — head down, at a fatal upward angle, he captured half his face peeking out from his scarf and Gu Yunchi's profile. A memento of their first time shopping together.

"Not good." He handed the coffee to Gu Yunchi after the photo. "Not as good as what BDH-339 makes."

Gu Yunchi took a sip and gave his review: "Slop."

They passed an old-fashioned accessories shop, and Wen Ran pulled Gu Yunchi inside. The jewelry all looked like it had some age to it. Wen Ran leaned over the glass counter, admiring, when his gaze suddenly stopped. He pointed at something and said to the shopkeeper, who was hammering away making silver pieces: "Hi, can I take a look at this?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Wen Ran carefully took out the pendant — a full-bodied oval opal, surrounded by gold-wrapped copper wire twisted into a star shape with rays of varying lengths radiating outward.

Tilting it slightly, the flaky color inside the opal shifted between deep green and blue-purple, like the aurora merging with the sea. At certain angles, it even revealed a flash of bright orange-red.

"So pretty, like the color of the universe." Wen Ran held it up for Gu Yunchi to see. "What do you think?"

Rather than evaluate the object, Gu Yunchi evaluated the person directly: "Good taste."

"This one's a natural black opal." The shopkeeper said while working. "If you want, I can string it on a thin leather cord — looks great worn outside your collar in winter."

"How much?" Wen Ran was already smitten and asked immediately.

"My friend does the rough stones, so I get them pretty cheap. No labor fee either — 3999."

He sucked in a sharp breath, put the pendant back, turned around, and walked out without looking back.

Gu Yunchi leaned against the counter, perfectly composed, watching Wen Ran stand outside the door, lifting his chestnut head to gaze at the sky, his back lonely as snow — he figured if Wen Ran smoked, this would be the moment for a cigarette.

After staring at the sky for a while, Wen Ran pulled out his Mobile Phone again — probably checking his balance. Finally he squared his shoulders, as if making a decision, turned around, and pushed the shop door open again.

Hands stuffed in his coat pockets, Wen Ran walked in with a solemn expression and said in a very big-spender voice: "I'll take it. Wrap it up."

"You guys here for tourism?" The shopkeeper strung the pendant and attached a clasp to the leather cord. "Lots of young people coming to see the aurora this year."

Wen Ran had just paid and was leaning on the workbench, a bit dizzy, when he heard that. His eyes went wide: "Aurora?"

"Yeah, just these few days. Over by the Snow Mountain — two, three hours by car."

"I've never seen the aurora." Wen Ran slowly turned to Gu Yunchi, his eyes lighting up bit by bit. He repeated: "Gu Yunchi, I've never seen the aurora."

"I can hear you, I'm not deaf." Gu Yunchi said. "We'll go after New Year's."

From one end to the other, Wen Ran fulfilled his wish of walking the entire main street with Gu Yunchi. It was barely past five but already fully dark. The two of them crossed the street lit up with all kinds of lights, walking slowly home.

"Mom, we're back." Wen Ran called out before even opening the door.

Li Qingwan's voice came from the kitchen: "Back? There's fruit on the coffee table, have some first. I'm just starting to make dinner."

Wen Ran answered and ran to the coffee table for fruit. He was about to call Gu Yunchi over when he turned and saw him taking off his coat and rolling up his sleeves, heading for the kitchen.

Young master turned filial son — Wen Ran was shocked. He immediately put down the fruit and, not wanting to be outdone, whipped off his coat and rushed into the kitchen.

The four of them worked for nearly two hours. The table was covered in a feast. Wen Ran grabbed his Mobile Phone and snapped dozens of photos before sitting down satisfied.

This time Gu Yunchi wasn't sitting across from him, which made it especially easy for Wen Ran to bother him — he'd step on Gu Yunchi's foot every now and then, and clink glasses with him before every sip of juice.

While Li Qingwan and Wu Yin were chatting, Gu Yunchi leaned a bit closer to Wen Ran. Wen Ran immediately got the message and put his ear close, nervous and excited.

He heard Gu Yunchi's low, nice voice say in his ear: "After New Year's I'm taking you to get your ADHD treated."

Wen Ran: ?

Probably the fullest meal of the year — he felt like the food had reached his forehead. Wen Ran leaned against the fridge, zoning out. When Gu Yunchi came over, he said to him: "Feel my stomach."

He grabbed Gu Yunchi's hand and put it on his own stomach, asking: "Has it gotten a lot bigger?"

Gu Yunchi pressed on Wen Ran's belly without speaking. Wen Ran looked at him, slightly puzzled. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Wen Ran suddenly realized something. He stepped aside and awkwardly changed the subject: "Ah, never mind, the parade's about to start, let's go."

After saying that he ran off to find Li Qingwan. Gu Yunchi stood in place, turning his head to watch his retreating back.

They officially headed out after ten. The parade had just started. Wen Ran pulled Gu Yunchi into the crowd, with Li Qingwan on Wu Yin's arm following behind them.

It was a dreamy fairy-tale style parade, with plenty of adorable pets in costume mixed in. Wen Ran was pretty excited at first, but about half an hour later he retreated from the front lines and obediently held tight to Gu Yunchi's hand, staying close by his side.

"Tired that fast?" The crowd was roaring around them. Gu Yunchi leaned down and asked in Wen Ran's ear.

"No." Wen Ran said miserably. "I got stepped on twelve times."

Both pitiful and funny. Gu Yunchi thought he might need to strap a 'Protect the Trees, No Stepping' sign on Wen Ran.

The parade route covered nearly the entire Little Town, and finally everyone gathered in the square in front of the Church, ready to start the New Year's countdown.

"5, 4, 3, 2—"

Dong—

Inside the Church, the New Year's bell rang, its echo lingering through the lively snowy night.

In the first minute of the new year, under a snow-laden tree outside the crowd, while everyone shouted 'Happy New Year,' Wen Ran pulled out the opal necklace: "New Year's gift!"

For Wen Ran, spending 3999 on a stone for himself was basically setting money on fire — no different from a crime. But he'd hesitate and pace and then buy it for Gu Yunchi. Gu Yunchi looked at him, unsurprised.

Embarrassed by the look, Wen Ran urged Gu Yunchi to lower his head and put the necklace on him.

After putting it on, Wen Ran held the pendant and looked: "It's really pretty."

He pressed his lips together: "You — you should've gotten that birthday present I made for you before, right? I didn't have money back then, could only make the aurora with synthetic materials. So when I saw this pendant today, I wanted to buy it for you."

Actually, this moment was perfect for a kiss, but with the rule he'd set for himself, Wen Ran held back. He was just about to substitute a hug for a kiss when his face was caught by two hands.

Gu Yunchi lowered his head, pressed against Wen Ran's lips, and told him: 'Thank you, Engineer Li. I really like it.'

The third minute of the new year, fine snow began to fall. Wen Ran's no-kissing rule had lasted less than a day before it failed — under the pure white tree, he and Gu Yunchi kissed for a long, long time.

After the countdown, they didn't linger at home long. Wen Ran and Gu Yunchi set off on their aurora-chasing trip.

'See the aurora and then come home to sleep. Don't tire yourselves out.' Li Qingwan stuffed a red envelope into each of their hands. 'Stay safe on the road, okay?'

'Mm, I know.' Wen Ran hugged her. 'Mom, get some rest. We'll be back soon.'

He tucked the red envelope away, ran out the door, dove into the car parked by the road, and buckled his seatbelt.

He waited and waited but Gu Yunchi didn't come. Wen Ran turned to look back at the house. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, he saw Gu Yunchi standing in the living room, saying a few words to Li Qingwan.

Whatever it was, Li Qingwan seemed to freeze for a moment after hearing it. She glanced out the window, then exchanged a look with Wu Yin. After that she laughed, happy and bright, nodded, ruffled Gu Yunchi's hair, and patted his shoulder with her other hand.

When Gu Yunchi got in the car, Wen Ran looked at Li Qingwan smiling at them from outside the door, suddenly rolled down the window, and shouted: 'Bye, Mom!'

Li Qingwan waved: 'Be careful on the road. Come home soon.'

'Let's go.' Gu Yunchi gave a heads-up and started the car.

Crunch, crunch — the wheels rolled over the snow, heading toward Snow Mountain.

Once they left the city, it got quieter and quieter, darker and darker. The snow got heavier too, pattering against the windshield like weightless feathers.

After driving over two hours without clearing the mountain base loop, Wen Ran pressed against the car window, gazing up at Snow Mountain, and suddenly asked: 'Gu Yunchi, what were you thinking when you saw the birthday present and letter I left you?'

Gu Yunchi was silent for a moment. 'Tired.'

When you've lost something of great importance and know you can never get it back, even the ability to feel pain disappears. All that's left is a powerless exhaustion. If he had to describe the time after Wen Ran left, that single word would be enough.

'Did you... think of me after?'

'When I was hurt and dreaming.'

'Dream of me doing what?'

'Dream of you saying you were leaving.'

Wen Ran looked out the window, rubbed his eyes: 'No better dreams?'

'Then I'd probably die in the dream and never wake up.'

Wen Ran immediately turned to look at him, then dropped his gaze: 'I think I understand a little.'

'I had a really good dream once too. Woke up feeling awful.'

'Dream of what?'

'I dreamed of the night of the high school Engagement. You were there too.' Wen Ran leaned back against the seat. 'You sat next to me and told me the Engagement was real, that we'd still get married someday.'

At some point the snow had stopped. Outside the car the cold wind howled, and everywhere the headlights touched was white. Only this small, enclosed space held them warm.

Gu Yunchi stared at the road ahead. After a long while, he said softly: 'It's real.'

Whoosh — the view that had been blocked by the mountain on the right for over two hours suddenly opened up. Cold wind swept in from the wilderness. They'd finally rounded Snow Mountain and entered this endless snow plain.

Wen Ran watched the far end of the sky, nervous: 'Looks like a little green.'

The car kept moving. Wen Ran fixed his eyes on the sky, confirmed the green was getting thicker, spreading. He sat up straight and said joyfully: 'It's the aurora!'

Gu Yunchi turned the wheel, steering the car toward the edge of a lake and a pine Forest. Ten-odd minutes later the car stopped. Wen Ran couldn't wait, pushed the door open and ran out, nearly tripping and falling in snow that came up past his calves.

'It's really the aurora! I see it!' He pointed at the sky and told Gu Yunchi, 'So pretty!'

Gu Yunchi took his hand, helped him put on his Gloves. Wen Ran was so busy staring at the sky, so excited he couldn't stand still, didn't feel the cold, babbling and whooping with his mouth — he didn't even notice that Gu Yunchi's wrists and movements were a little shaky. It took a while before the Gloves were finally on.

Like a space that didn't belong to the real world, vast green aurora filled the sky — and in a rare major-burst form, jumping and shifting fast, under the twinkling stars it looked like the hem of a swaying skirt, or a thick green wind brushing across the sky and the wilderness.

Wen Ran's face was lit up by the aurora. His eyes and mouth were both wide open, unable to close. He watched, mesmerized, for a long time before finally remembering to take a photo. He quickly pulled out his Mobile Phone and shoved it at Gu Yunchi: 'Take a picture for me! Make sure the aurora's in it too!'

Though eager about the photo, Wen Ran's pose didn't match his enthusiasm — both hands folded together in front of him, like a hotel doorman.

'Change the pose.' Gu Yunchi really couldn't stand watching.

'Oh oh!' Wen Ran frantically searched his empty brain for poses, finally deciding to take off one Glove and do a peace sign, very earnestly.

Gu Yunchi looked at his peace sign. For once, he didn't open his mouth to mock him.

After a long while, his hands were freezing. Wen Ran was just about to ask Gu Yunchi if the photo was done when he caught sight of his own two raised fingers.

He stared blankly down at his ring finger.

The band was shaped like delicate branches and leaves, each leaf dotted with a diamond. The face of the ring was set with a halo of small green diamonds, with an oval, high-clarity D-color diamond in the center — at this moment reflecting the green aurora, flashing with dazzling fire.

Still wearing that stunned expression when he looked down, by the time he looked up Wen Ran's eyes were already red: 'How could you sneak the Engagement Ring on me while putting on my gloves...'

'Proposing, proposing — shouldn't you say something...'

He hadn't gotten two sentences out before he started crying. His eyes and nose were red all over, tears kept falling, hitting his face and stinging in the wind.

Gu Yunchi closed the Mobile Phone and stepped in front of him, one hand blocking the wind, the other wiping his tears.

'I never thought that Engagement was fake. This Engagement Ring is just late.' Gu Yunchi cradled Wen Ran's tear-wrinkled face. 'The dream you had was real. The Engagement is real. Getting married is real too.'

From Gu Yunchi's perspective, the word 'marriage' had appeared far, far earlier than he'd ever expected — at eighteen.

He disdained fantasy. He couldn't possibly imagine himself having a future with an omega. When he'd decided to make that plan, he'd confirmed he was being rational — rationally planning everything and following through, not fantasy or impulse.

But the first time he saw the drafted proposal, saw the content that only concerned Gu Yunchi and Wen Ran, he still couldn't help thinking about the future.

He imagined using his rare holidays from military school to visit the carefree Wen Ran, who was studying whatever interested him.

He could even imagine Wen Ran wanting to hug him first when they met.

But even after imagining this far, Gu Yunchi still believed he was just appropriately extending his thoughts about the proposal's content. Overall, reason still outweighed emotion.

Until later, looking back at that document, Gu Yunchi realized — or admitted — that he wanted to be with Wen Ran forever.

However—

'Forever is too vague.' Gu Yunchi said. 'Let's be together for a lifetime.'

The tears immediately fell harder. Wen Ran sobbed, almost blowing a snot bubble.

He'd thought he was the only one in the world who cared about, who remembered that Engagement. Turns out he wasn't.

Without reaching the next life, without becoming a healthy kid in a happy family — just stumbling from Wen Ran to Li Shu — it didn't matter. This lifetime, he was already going to be with Gu Yunchi forever.

'Then I hope a lifetime... can be a little longer...' Wen Ran cried so hard he could barely speak. 'I want to be with you for a very, very long time.'

He hugged Gu Yunchi, face buried in his chest: 'You know, I had a dream yesterday.'

'I dreamed I was watering a little sapling. It told me it was doing well now... told us not to worry or be sad for it anymore... it said when things were better, maybe there'd be a chance to be family again.'

'It's a bit superstitious, I know... but just believe it for now...'

Gu Yunchi held him tighter, little by little, and rasped out a 'Mm.'

'Not superstitious,' he said.

The aurora still drifted and shifted overhead. In the empty snowfield, like the end of the world, that grand and lonely Engagement from seven years ago finally came full circle in this white wilderness that belonged only to them.

After crying enough, Wen Ran pulled out of Gu Yunchi's arms, looked at the Engagement Ring on his hand again, and said in a nasal voice: 'I'm gonna video call BDH-339.'

Gu Yunchi handed him the Mobile Phone. Wen Ran sniffed, shivering, and tapped open BDH-339's chat window.

The video was picked up instantly. BDH-339 stood in front of the camera, saw Wen Ran was with Gu Yunchi, and let out a big sigh of relief: 'I thought something urgent happened!'

'We saw in the New Year and came to see the aurora.' Wen Ran raised his left hand, showed off the Engagement Ring, smiling with red eyes: 'Look!'

'Ri... ring!' BDH-339's poached-egg eyes poured waterfall tears. 'I... I've waited for this day... Young Master... Young Master proposed...!'

It was so excited it roller-skidded in a circle in the living room, knocked over a vase and didn't care, rushed back to the screen: 'So when are you getting married! When are you having babies!'

Gu Yunchi said: 'Pick up the vase.'

BDH-339 didn't hear at all. It started playing the wedding march on its own, saluted firmly: 'I have 999+ wedding plans here. Rest assured, Little Tree and Young Master!'

'Still early!' Wen Ran lifted the Mobile Phone a bit higher so BDH-339 could see the aurora too. He laughed and shouted: 'We caught the aurora! Going to the next stop! Bye, BDH-339!'

BDH-339 watched the screen with teary eyes, saw Wen Ran and Gu Yunchi smiling and waving goodbye through the video.

Dong — the call ended. BDH-339 cried, moved for a long while, before returning to the big screen in the living room.

The screen split in two. On one side, Wen Ran seven years ago, bathed in sunlight, playing Nineteen Days of Polar Night. On the other, Gu Yunchi in dim dusk, quietly listening to the piano drifting out of the birthday present.

Accompanied by the clicking of gears, the two versions of Nineteen Days of Polar Night from the two videos overlapped and rang out, echoing gently in the empty, quiet living room.

BDH-339 watched the screen without blinking. It felt the spot on the left side of its chest where the fridge magnet was stuck — it seemed warm. It didn't hurt anymore.

It showed a happy, expectant smile, then remembered it seemed to have forgotten to say goodbye to them. That didn't match the politeness protocols in its program.

'Goodbye, Little Tree.'

'Goodbye, Young Master.'